CARE has welcomed a new law making it a criminal offence to pay for sex with someone who has been forced into prostitution.

The Christian charity is one of 70 rights groups to have signed a statement expressing their support for the measure, which comes into force tomorrow under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009.

The change in the law is the culmination of four years of campaigning by CARE and other groups. Section 14 shifts the focus of the law onto those who create the demand for forced prostitution and aims to protect vulnerable people who may be coerced into prostituting themselves by threats and other psychological means.

The new law is also a strict liability offence, meaning that the police do not have to prove that the person buying the services had knowledge of the exploitation.

Rachel Davies, Prostitution and Trafficking Policy Officer for CARE, said: “Section 14 is vital in reducing exploitation within the sex industry. I trust there will be an eventual reduction in trafficking and coercion as a result of this law.”

CARE also welcomed measures in the Act which take a more compassionate approach to street prostitutes.

Sections 17 and 18 of the Act give courts the option of offering prostitutes sessions with a counsellor rather than fines or imprisonment.

CARE said the change represented a significant step towards “recognising the vulnerability of the majority of those caught in prostitution”.